I Remember You
by MissNemisisFace
Summary: The point of view of some creature as it speaks to a captive Once-ler. The second chapter is Once-ler's thoughts as he is being held captive. Rated for one swear and the disturbing nature of the tale.
1. I Love You

I remember you then. You were so warm, so soft, so beautiful. I watched you as you slept, your arms around that stuffed animal of yours, your blankets pulled up high. I just stood above you, in awe of what I was seeing. So perfect; a miracle. Before you woke, I slipped back into the shadows, slipping under the crack under your closet door. In there, I watched you.

Forgive me, it sounds so silly, now, but I was afriad for you to see me! You got out of bed, lying on your belly and lowering yourself to the hard-wood floor of your bedroom. Someone called to you, and you ran out of the room. I just sat there, in the dark, trying to contain myself. I could keep invisible in front of you-I just would have to keep myself calm. Once I was sure I had calmed down enough, I slipped from your bedroom closet and trailed down the stairs after you. You sat at a table with a large group of other people. There were two men: one very short and one very tall. I would later learn that this second man was your father. Two women were there, too-a blond and a red-head, as well as two little boys.

I continued to watch you; you got up to go outside to play. I followed you, keeping to the shadows. Many days went on like that; I would be with you all the time. I would be by your side as you went about your day, and watch you sleep at night. I couldn't stand it. I just couldn't stand it anymore; you were so perfect. So small. So cute, I just had to get closer to you. I stood right beside you, to the side of your bed, staring down at you. You stirred, and you looked up, catching me. You screamed at me. Don't you know who I am? I'm here to protect you. Please, please, don't scream. Sssh. I heard a woman's voice call up to you, asking you what you were screaming about. You were so young and so afraid, all you could yell back was "monster!". Slow, annoyed footsteps sounded up the stairs and outside the hall to us, but I didn't care. She couldn't see me. Only you could see me. You were as far from me as you could get; your back pressed against the wall, those baby-blue eyes of your's fixed on me. Why, your skin was almost as light as mine, that night. She came into the room and stood at the door. She asked you, in such a hateful tone, where was this "monster" you were yelling about. You just pointed at me. She scowled at you and scolded you, telling you to go to sleep. You whined in protest, but she turned off the light and slammed the door behind her. You sat there all night, staring at me. Please, don't be scared of me. I love you so much...

Years went on like this. After the first night, you would keep silent about me, and I no longer had to hide! Wasn't that perfect? I could always be with you, and you'd know it, too! No matter where you went, I was there with you. You would lie in your bed, in the dark, staring at me until you fell asleep. When you were still so very, very young-too young to comprehend fully what had happened, your father died. I liked him. He didn't believe that I was there, nor could he see me, but he was not verbally abusive to you, like your mother. You were beside yourself with grief. You laid on your bed, crying so softly. There was so much pain in those tears. I couldn't watch this. I crawled down into the bed beside you and laid my arm across you. I felt you shudder under me, and a soft whimper. You asked what I wanted with you, and before I could even answer, you asked me to leave you alone. I stroked your cheek, and it was warm, wet. You laid there in my arms all night, trembling.

When you went to school, everything changed. I would follow after you on the bus, just outside the window, watching you. Those buses are so dangerous-I had to keep you safe. When you noticed me, you buried your face in your knees. It started to hurt me a little when you'd do that, but I loved you and I knew you'd grow to love me, too. In that big group of other children, you seemed to relax. Sure, your eyes would dart over to me from time to time, but you'd go back to talking to what ever other child you had been talking to. You really didn't like being alone, did you? Why not? I'm right here with you-safest you'll ever be!

I would be with you like that for many more years. I watched you grow from a child all the way into a man. You still saw me, but you always tried to pretend you didn't. It was out there, while you were a young man, that another saw me. He just studied me for a few minutes, catching your eyes meeting mine and, for that split second, a look of discomfort would twist your features. He would steal glances at me, but never said anything.

Then, when that was over, I saw you start to succeed! I knew you would. You are special, you are wonderful. You had all you wanted; wealth, power...love. Why did you need them? They love you now, but what about when the money runs dry? You grew so greedy, so arrogant...but I still loved you...and you still saw me.

It was just as it was when you were a boy. You weren't quite yourself that night-something had happened. You had fallen, and they had left you behind, as I knew they would. You lie on your back, staring up at me. It broke my heart to see those poor eyes, blood-shot and full of tears. For the first time in years, you spoke to me. You asked me, again, what I am. You asked me why I have been torturing you. Torturing you? That cut me. That hurt. I have only ever been by your side, so close. In all these years, you still don't understand that I love you. Why not? Have I not made myself clear? You sobbed underneath me, rocking the bed, as I stood above you, gazing down.

You really have to forgive me. You were in so much pain. Everyone had left you behind, forgotten you, abandoned you. You never needed them, though. Now, you try to escape. You run from me, away from this home. The other day as I went to bring you some food, you bolted; ran for the door, screaming and sobbing.

I don't want to hurt you. I really don't, but you made me. You made me hurt you: chase you down, pin you face-down, and tie your wrists. Why did you squirm and thrash under me? I just want to protect you. You struggled a little, but went limp and I took you back to safety. It's dangerous out there, and you've been hurt enough. Now, I have to feed you, myself. Why do you squirm like that? I just want to take care of you. Every night, you slump back down onto bed. You stare at me with those same perfect blue eyes. Even so full of fear, they are beautiful. So perfect.

I love you so much.

This was from the point of view of a creature that used to follow him around. AU, since it takes him captive after Thneed Inc falls and keeps him, meaning in this universe, he never meets Ted.

Next chapter will be from his point of view.


	2. Once-ler's Note

I don't know if anyone will even find this but I have to do something to keep my sanity. If you find this, then that means one of two things. Either you've been caught by this thing and now share my fate, or you've come here of your own will. If it is the latter, please, save me. I can't get out of here myself.

I've tried. It came to feed me one day, and I ran for the door. I managed to get outside; I was so close! Those wings it has? They work. It's only about 20 feet from the front door to the "tree-line", but I didn't even make it half-way before it spread those wings and ran me down. It got on top of me before I could get up and held me down. It tied my hands in these zip-ties. Where did it get zip-ties? I tried to get away; I squirmed under it, tried to get it off me, but I couldn't. I know I shouldn't, but I just gave up on escaping on my own then. It dragged me back into this room.

Do you have any idea how nasty the "food" it makes me is? I mean, it has an excuse, I guess-it doesn't have a mouth. I threw up the first time I had to eat whatever the fuck that is. I try not to think too hard about it. Now, since my hands are bound most of the time, it spoon-feeds me. It's bad enough it has to stare at me, it's gotta spoon-feed me, too? I guess I could try to starve myself, but I know it would just Macgyver something up with a bike-pump and a garden hose and force-feed me.

At first, I thought that it was punishing me for what I've done, but it's been following me and watching me all my life. I remember it getting in the bed with me the night that my dad died. I was almost four years old. Until this, that was the scariest thing that ever happened to me. You know how if you are in the cold long enough, you get used to it? You can't get used to the cold this thing puts out. It's not so easy to notice, unless it's hugging you. Then it's all you notice.

It bathes me. Wrap your mind around that, how unnerving that is. The first time it took me in there, I didn't know what it was doing. It took my clothes off. Those claws on its hands made it a bit worse. It forced me into the water, and bathed me like I was a toddler. At least the water was warm. Now, I just shut my eyes and wait for it to be over.

That's the only time I get out of this room. Every three days, it takes me in there to give me a bath. It keeps me bound to my bed every night-tied by my wrists and it stares at me all night with those huge voids it calls eyes. Sometimes, it rubs my face and plays with my hair. I could swear that it coos while it does that. Does it love me? Is that why it's keeping me here; it thinks it's taking care of me? I wish it would just kill me or let me go.


End file.
